French political scientist Gilles Gressani on Italy as a role model for Europe’s right-wing populists.
Die Presse: Giorgia Melonis Fratelli d’Italia is the first radical right-wing party to lead an important EU country. In the 20th century, Italy was often a laboratory for populism and extremism. Is the Meloni model now making school?
Gilles Gressani: Their victory triggered contrasting reactions: some warned of a new fascism, others played down radical elements of the party. Both interpretations overlook what is really relevant – namely Giorgia Meloni’s “technical sovereignty”: Meloni was not courting angry voters, but specifically addressed moderate groups. It has integrated issues into its program that are important to these groups, moving within the framework of EU and NATO membership. Geopolitically it has sided convincingly with Ukraine, in EU politics it has renounced Italexit, is committed to the euro and no longer threatens a unilateral break with the EU. So Meloni made a pact with state technocracies. But when it comes to socio-cultural issues (family, migration, women, homosexual rights), she remains radical. It has not moderated, but “institutionalized”. Your model could serve as a model throughout Europe and trigger a domino effect.
What lessons can right-wing populists like Marine Le Pen in France draw from this?